ISTANBUL - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said, ''Turkey cannot take place among countries targeted by the Greater Middle East initiative. Attempts to describe secular Turkey as an Islamic Republic or to have people subconsciously adopt some models with meaningless qualifications like 'moderate Islam' are quite baseless and unacceptable.'' Speaking at a conference at the War Academies in Istanbul, President Sezer said on Wednesday, ''some circles have been making various comments about Turkey's position and likely roles under the Greater Middle East initiative. Turkey cannot take place among countries targeted by the Greater Middle East initiative. I recommend those who advocates the contrary, to change their understanding. Attempts to describe secular Turkey as an Islamic Republic or to have people subconsciously adopt some models with meaningless qualifications like 'moderate Islam' are quite baseless and unacceptable.'' ''Since moderate Islam is not the regime of the Republic of Turkey, it is understood that some circles envisaged a new regime for our state. Although the model of moderate Islam can be considered a progress for the other Islam countries, this model is nothing but a fundamentalist model for Turkey. Meanwhile, the most interesting thing is the claims saying that this model was envisaged to democratize the societies. Any attempt to bring theocratic state and democracy together is contrary to the history and the science,'' he said. President Sezer noted, ''the principle of secularism is the fundamental element of all values forming the Republic of Turkey. Those who propose the model of moderate Islam for Turkey ignore the irrevocable principle of secular state in the Constitution. The Republic of Turkey will survive forever with its modern characteristics.'' ''Turkey, one of the oldest members of NATO, a neighbor of the Middle East and a candidate of the European Union (EU), is ready to do everything in its power to fulfil its responsibilities and to make contributions to facilitate the historic transformation in the Middle East. Turkey has an advanced democracy at a point connecting Europe and the Middle East. The EU's opening accession talks with Turkey, and accepting Turkey's membership at the end of the process will be the most important message to the Middle East and to the Islam world. This message will reveal that values such as democracy, human rights and supremacy of law are universal; the fault line separating the societies does not lie between civilizations and religions, but between those who adopt these values and those who reject them; and the western world and the Islam world can mingle with each other on the basis of these values,'' he said. Stressing that Turkey's relations with the EU had entered an important period, President Sezer said, ''Turkey has given priority to persuade the EU to open accession talks with Turkey at the end of the year. The EU membership symbolizes universal values and high living standards. It means the most important social project to reach the level of modern civilization targeted by Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.'' Recalling that a series of comprehensive constitutional amendments strengthening arrangements in fundamental rights and freedoms, democracy, supremacy of law and human rights were adopted in Turkey and some international conventions were signed, President Sezer said, ''in this comprehensive reform process, Turkey has been exerting great efforts to meet the Copenhagen political criteria. Most of Turkish people are in favor of EU membership. After Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the EU will not have any excuse for its failure to set a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey. Turkey has been progressing on the path leading to the EU membership for more than 40 years. This path is quite longer and more tiresome for Turkey than of the other candidates. Therefore, December 2004 will mean a test for the EU's sincerity. We believe that the EU will well-consider political and strategic consequences of its decision not to open accession talks with Turkey.'' ''Turkey has been progressing on the path leading to the EU without abandoning the principles of human rights, fundamental rights and freedoms, supremacy of law and democracy against the threat which emerged after the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, in Istanbul in November of 2003 and in Spain on March 11, 2004. Turkey's membership to the EU will prove that different cultures can live together on the basis of common values and interest under the roof of the EU,'' he said. Referring to the biggest enlargement of the EU on May 1, 2004, President Sezer said, ''the enlargement process including the former Eastern Block countries, is a historic step in regard to removal of differences emerged in Europe after the World War II. The EU is the biggest political and economic formation in the European continent after collapse of the Roman Empire. The process of co-operation and mutual dependence, which started in coal-steel to heal the wounds of the two world wars of the 20th century, has turned into a 25-member EU envisaging to develop a common foreign policy and defense identity. Now, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are waiting for their turn for the EU membership. As Turkey, we are in favor of a more powerful EU capable of shaping international developments. ''IN CASE GREATER MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE CAUSES AN IMPORTANT UNEASINESS IN THE REGION BECAUSE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WRONG METHODS, I WOULD LIKE TO WARN THAT WE MAY COME FACE TO FACE WITH NEW RISKS President Sezer said, ''the uncertainty atmosphere which appeared after collapse of bi-polar world order highlighted once again the importance of determination of new risks accurately. Any failure in making timely, accurate and healthy determinations about the developments will pave the way for misleading results. It is important for us to form common-sensical and realistic plans and strategies. This is a necessity in our country which is located in a problematic geography in the world.'' Sezer said, ''unfortunately, both our region and the world are not in a more stable and secure position when compared with the last year. Dangers, risks and uncertainties toward peace and international relations continue to be a source of concern.'' Sezer said the damage caused by the international terrorism to civilization and humanity gradually grew despite the fight against it. ''The problem of terrorism, which caused sufferings in our country for years and which could be perceived by the world only after September 11 attacks, fundamentalism, and weapons of mass destruction are among the important global dangers,'' Sezer noted. Stating that international community had difficulty in producing solutions to risks and dangers, solving problems and furthermore finding ways to prevent further deepening of the problems. President Sezer said important developments had been experienced in Iraq since last year, stating that, ''uncertainties regarding Iraq's future and increase of vicious circle of terrorism cause concern for Turkey as well as the international community. Everybody knows that Turkey exerted great efforts to refrain from a military intervention toward Iraq as we had concerns that the intervention would lead to more serious problems than those it wanted to solve. However, today, it is difficult to claim that Iraq is in a better position neither for itself and neighbors nor for the international community.'' Sezer said, ''we have deep concerns that loss of lives will continue. Our country will maintain its sensitivity toward possible developments in Iraq. We sincerely wish installation of a permanent stability, formation of public order, and formation of a democratic regime in which all ethnical groups are represented fairly. We also wish that Iraqi people will have full control over their own country and natural resources. Preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity are indispensable elements of stability of Iraq and the region. Everybody knows our sensitivity in this respect.'' Sezer said, ''we seek for condition of international legitimacy in steps we had taken last year and we will take in the future regarding Iraq, this constitutes the core of our policy on Iraq.'' Noting that terrorist organization PKK/KADEK which changed its name as KONGRA-GEL maintained its existence in northern Iraq, Sezer said, ''in parallel to our consensus with the United States on expelling the organization from northern Iraq and neutralizing it, there is a need for swiftly taken concrete and persuasive steps on this issue. Turkish public opinion's rightful sensitivities to this matter continue. Another important point is to avoid creating impression of discrimination in fight against terrorism.'' Stating that the interim administrative law which was approved on March 8, 2004 in Iraq was a reflection of insufficiencies and imbalances in the formation of the Iraqi Governing Council, Sezer said, ''it can be said that the law has mortgaged the will of National Assembly and Transition Government that will be formed with general elections. Despite negative factors in the law, the political transition period in Iraq will undoubtedly be a dynamic process. It is of vital importance to allow all sections forming Iraq to determine fate of the country with their real influences regarding both implementation of the interim law and appearance of the elected National Assembly that will represent Iraqi people.'' President Sezer said that ''areas of geopolitical vacuum'' that emerged in Eurasian geography after end of the cold war, which gave rise to clashes and disputes in Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East and Central Asia and ''asymmetric threats'' which deeply shook American and European continents sequentially after September 11 and March 11 acts of terrorism, increased security concerns throughout the world. Regarding the ''Greater Middle East Initiative'' which was put forward by the United States and had recently started to be discussed in international field, Sezer said, ''it is presented as a comprehensive and long-term plan of transformation including also field of security together with political, social and economic dimensions in a broad geography which is said to have spread from North Africa to Middle East and even Near East.'' ''Although its content and quality have not become clear yet, we have some clues over the plan in question of which intellectual grounds were actually laid in 1990s in the United States but it is understood that developments occurred in international field have urged the United States to put such a comprehensive initiative into practice. September 11 terrorist attacks undoubtedly top those developments,'' the President said. ''While putting forward this plan, the U.S. administration draws attention to the fact that problems like extremism, terrorism and illegal migration in parallel to increase in unemployed and uneducated population that has been deprived of its political, social and economic rights in the Middle Eastern geography would reach hazardous points and such a situation would pose a serious threat against not only the United States but also whole international community. Development of a multi-dimensional and long-term strategy that will include democratization and better governance for regimes in the region is defended to be the solution,'' President Sezer noted. ''The EU seems supporting the transformation process envisaged by the Greater Middle East Initiative. However, the recent discussions revealed that there has been a methodical difference between the EU and the United States. The EU has been developing a different, but complementary strategy about the Greater Middle East Initiative. The common point in the two approaches is that both the United States and the EU think that they have the right and authority to provide order in the region,'' he said. Stressing that the regional countries had some sensitivities and suspicious about the United States' putting forward the initiative without holding consultations with them, President Sezer said, ''the Arab countries liken the United States' efforts to re-shape the Middle East together with Europe and the other industrialized countries to the efforts to collapse the Soviet Union in 1970s. They are extremely concerned about these efforts. Also, the initiative have given rise to suspicions in the Arab countries about a new colonization in the region. The United States has recently increased its meetings in the region and changed its statements to remove these concerns.'' ''In a period in which the international community has concentrated on the initiative, the United States, the EU and the regional countries have been monitoring Turkey's attitude. I want to stress that views advocating that values such as democracy, human rights, better management and gender equality are to the Western world, and that the Middle East cannot assimilate these values since it has different cultural, religious, social and historical experiences, are totally baseless,'' he said. President Sezer said, ''instead of discussing such things, we should focus on the methods of putting into practice democratization in the Middle East.'' Stressing that the end of current vicious circle of violence in the Middle East peace process and the process' entering a positive direction would weaken circles which provoked peoples of the region to violence, Sezer said that sincere efforts of the West for a solution to this conflict would provide regional administrations and public opinions with adopting aids of international society in reconstruction process. Sezer said that the Western world should not disregard this point and noted that Israel-Palestine conflict which could not reach any solution somehow was a concrete example of this confidence problem. He noted that it was very important not to use democratization as an instrument in transition to another antidemocratic and outworn method. Stating that only existence of parliaments and elections was not sufficient to talk about democracy, he said that what should be targeted was an understanding of democracy which was pluralist and which took into consideration of supremacy of law and separation of forces. Noting that there was need for social compromise to reach this understanding, Sezer stated that democracy was a culture of compromise and there was need for time to make further develop this culture.

(MS-UK-EÖ-AY) 14.04.2004